Till We Meet Again (1944)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Lenore J. Coffee (writer)
Alfred Maury (play)

Release Date:

30 August 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

THEIR LOVE WAS ALL! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | German Soldier | WWII | Convent | Nun

Cast

Ray Milland	...	John
Barbara Britton	...	Sister Clothilde aka Louise Dupree
Walter Slezak	...	Vitrey, The Mayor
Lucile Watson	...	Mother Superior
Konstantin Shayne	...	Major Krupp
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Cabeau
Mona Freeman	...	Elise
William Edmunds	...	Henri Maret

Also Known As:

Tomorrow's Harvest

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Slatersville, Rhode Island, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Spiritually Heartrending Portrait of a Nun and Her Love for an Aviator

This is the fourth Borzage film I have seen in which the Nazis are depicted as horrific evils or threats to the luminous lovers. Whereas "Little Man, What Now", "Three Comrades", "The Mortal Storm" are set in Germany, "Till we Meet Again" - a Paramount production - is set in occupied France during WWII, and it doesn't star Margaret Sullavan. Instead it centers on a nun (Barbara Britton) and her love for a fugitive American aviator (Ray Milland) and her tragic, spiritual awakening to the outside world. Their love transcends the hostile, war-torn background that surrounds them as they are chased by the Nazis.

It's one of Borzage's most highly spiritual works, and the setting of a convent (in the beginning), the focus on the nun, the awesomely spiritual communion of the lovers – heightens its sense of spirituality. The photography (as always) is haunting and painterly. Britton & Milland are fabulous together; they make a lovely yet vulnerable couple that we can sympathize all along. The most memorable moment is the scene where Milland explains to her what marriage means to him. The way he defines marriage, the eloquence of his speech, the highly erotic scenes between them, not to say the remarkable radiance of Britton's face, are just sublime.

I thought the ending was rushed and problematic; it didn't make sense to me. However I was very pleased with the rest of the film. I heartily recommend "Till We Meet Again", especially to Borzage fans, if you get a chance to watch it.